Untitled (Rin)

[Wednesday]

(A/N): So, I'm about to embark on a Herculean task. One that I fear is far above and beyond my capability, but one that I still want to do regardless.

I'm writing a Rin-centered story from her first-person POV.

This is actually the first ever fanfiction I ever do. I only wrote original stories prior to this, but Rin is such a fascinating character that I can't resist borrowing her for this silly concept of a story that I had been having in my mind for a long time. I hope you enjoy this.

~

Chapter 1.


I just had a dream.

I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling. It was an interesting dream. What was it about? I tried to recall it back, its feel, its color, its shape...

Hm, the ceiling seems to be closer than usual. Or maybe it’s just because I’m still sleepy. There is the sound of a bird chirping somewhere outside. One of my paintings on the far wall seems a bit askew. Should fix it later. There is a loud, familiar, noise from just outside my room.

“Riiinnn!! Wake up!!”

I closed my eyes again. I want to remember my dream. Waking up and letting Emi inside would make me forget it completely. Should focus and collect the pieces of that dream I just had.

“Rin, we’re almost late! Open the door!”

.....On the other hand, it’s impossible to focus with Emi banging and yelling like that. I guess I have to let her in. Maybe save the bits and pieces of my dream somewhere in my mind and take it back later, when I have the time to contemplate by myself. I wish I have something like a mind-drawer.

I leapt from my bed, walked to the door, and unlocked it. Emi was standing with her hands on hip, already in uniform. She glared at me, looking angry. Hm, not really angry. I think I never see Emi being ‘angry’, so to say. Maybe ‘annoyed’ is more apt, but that one doesn’t sound totally right either...

“I must’ve been standing outside that door and yelling for half an hour! Okay, maybe just ten minutes, but still. You should’ve always waken up and taken a bath by the time I finished my morning run!”

I shrugged, and walked outside to take a bath. When I was taking a bath, I tried to recollect that bits and pieces of my dream. I couldn’t find it. Ah well, this always happened. Today feels especially more annoying though, since the dream is...kind of unusual. Hm, this is interesting. If I can’t remember what my dream is about, how can I know that my dream is unusual?

I’m still thinking about this after I finished and entered my room. Emi was already inside, pacing back and forth. She never could stay still. As soon as she saw me, she snatched my uniform and ran toward me. I don’t understand the rush. It seems we were already late, so why she had to be in hurry? What is the difference between late 5 minutes and late 30 minutes? As far as I’m concerned, there are no differences. But, I don’t want to make Emi more ‘angry’ (‘annoyed’?), so I didn’t say anything about it.

“I had a dream, but I can’t remember it. I wonder why. Maybe somebody stole my dream,” I commented as Emi dressed me up.

Emi giggled, “Dreams can’t be stolen, Rin! It’s not like money or cake or, you know, something concrete. Anyway, I also had a dream last night! It was a great one, I was running in this very nice place...”

Wait.

“You can remember your dream?”

“Uh-huh!”, Emi answered while she started buttoning my uniform. “Aren’t most people? I can’t always remember, but usually I can!”

This is weird. I always assumed most people forget about their dreams soon after they woke up. I’m like that, at least. There was a time when I can remember about my dreams, but it feels like a very long time ago. Nowadays, I have a really hard time recalling my dream. I thought everyone is like that, when they grow up they tend to forget their dreams. But, Emi is not. Which means that either I or her is abnormal.

I closed my eyes, trying to contemplate this matter. But, Emi was already finished and pulled my sleeve in impatience.

“C’mon, let’s roll! Hup hup!”

I reluctantly opened my eyes again and muttered, “I think I want to skip today’s class. Need to think more about this. Or maybe go back to sleep. Maybe I can see the same dream again.”

“Whaat? You can’t skip class today, there’s going to be a Math exam! Hey, how about...we’ll discuss this dream thingy again during lunch break? With Hisao!”

That’s not a bad idea, actually. Hisao’s a smart guy, maybe he knows the truth about dream. He gave a perfect explanation about clouds that other day, after all. Maybe he could even help me finding out who’s been stealing my dreams.

***
I watched row of ants taking bits of my mango bread away. I don’t like ants. In a way, I’m afraid of them. They’re way too neat, way too...’selfless’? They walked in a perfect row, never diverging, never changing path....controlled by something else far beyond. They can’t change...I think not because they like what and how they are, but more because they have no identity to change from....

“Hey, guys.”

Hisao’s entrance interrupted my thought. He sat in front of me and Emi, who were already in the process of eating our lunch. Or, more accurately, Emi was in the process of eating my unfinished lunch and I was in the process of watching ants.

“Man, that line took forever! I have to eat this quickly. How’s your day?”

Emi swallowed a large chunk of my bread, and groaned, “We’re late because Rin woke up later than usual! Also, we just had a Math test and I think I failed it.”

Hisao laughed, and started eating his lunch. I stared at him for a while. I feel I had something I need to ask him today. What was it again? Oh yeah. Dreams.

“Hisao,” I addressed him. “I have a question for you. An important question. This may be the question that determine whether or not I still want to be friends with you.”

Hisao blinked a few times. “Uuuh....come again?”

He casted a glance at Emi, but she was walking away to put the trash in the bin. Maybe I phrased it wrong.

“Actually, maybe not. Maybe I still wanted to be your friend regardless of your answer. This is still an important question, though.”

“Okay then.” Hisao grinned. “Do I at least get to save before I answer your question? You know, just in case I gave the wrong answer and would like to try again”

I’m confused. “What?”

“That was a joke. See, I was playing this game and....uh, never mind. What’s your question?”

“Can you remember your dreams?”

Hisao looks confused, although not as confused as he usually looks when he is talking to me. “What kind of dreams you’re referring to here?”

“The ones that you sometimes get in your sleep.”

“Ooh. I see. Um....I think I can. Yeah, usually I can remember my dreams.”

Oh. I guess I’m the abnormal one, then. Somehow this is not really surprising.

“....well, not all of the time though. Sometimes I can only remember part of them, sometimes I can’t even remember them at all. Why you’re asking, anyway?”

“I can’t remember my dreams,” I replied. “I think somebody stole them.”

Emi had returned by now and settled herself down. “Nobody stole your dream, Rin! You just have to relax a bit after you wake up so that you can remember your dream better.”

“I’m always relaxed after waking up. I’m not sure how can I be more relaxed than how I usually am. I really need to be able to remember my dreams more. If I can’t...how can I be sure that this reality is not actually a dream?”

Hisao was in the process of spooning the food into his mouth, but he stopped halfway. “Of course you can. Here and now, you have more freedom over your action. In dreams, you have no idea why and how you do something. You just...kind of following the story, so to say.”

“I just think of something interesting!”, Emi chipped in. “What if...we’re actually just part of somebody else’s dreams?”

“....sounds like something that comes from a lame science-fiction story,” Hisao remarked. “That idea of us being somebody else’s fragment of imagination, I mean.”

What Emi and Hisao just said intrigued me. I think I felt similar to that...but not really in that way.

“I sometimes feel....as if I am a character in a story. Somebody created me, and I’m a part of their story....’

I paused for a bit before continuing again, ‘Today’s felt a bit different, though. Like it was somebody else who is using me in their story. Somebody who is less sure about how I act, or speak, or think.”

Hisao and Emi stared at me for a long while. Longer than usual. This usually means that I need to clarify or use another choice of words that make more sense to them. But, just as I think about how to revise my previous statement (and if I should even bother), Hisao already spoke up again.

“Aaaanyway. Back to the dream stuffs. Rin, if this thing about not remembering really bothers you...”

“It bothers me. A lot.”

“Right, okay, I have an idea. Why don’t you keep a dream journal? Place a notebook near your bed, and when you just wake up, write what you can remember about your dream in that book. As fast as you can before you forget”

“I’m not sure I can describe my dream. I probaby forgot before I can find the right words.”

“Draw then. Just...illustrate your dream as best as you can. If you want, you can bring it for our lunch breaks and we can talk about it.”

“I don’t think I can bring my dreams here.”

“Err, not your dreams. The journal, I mean. Bring whatever you write, or draw, to me and Emi. I’d love to look at it.”

“That sounds really interesting!”, said Emi. “I think I want to do that as well.”

“Yours is probably not going to be interesting”, Hisao commented. “You probably dream about running all the time. Or eating. Or running while eating.”

Hisao cried as Emi leapt toward him and pinched him hard. I stood up slowly, pondering Hisao’s idea. That’s a good one. I think I will do it starting from tonight.

~

(A/N): And that's the first chapter. Feedback/criticism is most welcome, whether content-related, technical, grammatical (English is not my native language, so I probably made a lot mistakes there), or otherwise.

[Elcor]

Will be interesting to see how this goes.

[Oddball]

Sigh. Another untitled story. Time to add to the tips for fanfiction writers.

... there.

http://ks.renai.us/viewtopic.php?f=52&t ... 00#p102800

[Doomish]

This story is probably called untitled for a reason, you know. Like in Rin's actual route, when she titles a painting Untitled because she can't think of one to give it.

[Wednesday]

This story is probably called untitled for a reason, you know. Like in Rin's actual route, when she titles a painting Untitled because she can't think of one to give it.

Yup.

.....although giving names to the chapters kind of negated my point, come to think again. So, maybe I'll change it. Or not. Either way, will think harder about it.